Cameron Payne described his return to the Philadelphia 76ers as happening "pretty fast," finding out just days before while watching a Partizan game, quickly packing, and said he loved playing in Europe, enjoying the energy, being the focal point of the team, and running the offense.
31-year-old, 10-year NBA veteran point guard Cam Payne is back in the NBA after spending nearly two months with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Serbia.
A veteran of 477 NBA games across seven teams, Payne has earned a second stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, who officially signed him on Wednesday.
"It's really crazy – I told my agent this one – I was like, 'I don't know how I keep finding a way to get back.' But I guess the NBA is still watching, and if you still take your game seriously and do the right things, play the right way, like, they're still looking, so it's pretty cool," Payne said, via Philly Voice.
Payne returns to familiar territory. He played 31 games for Philadelphia at the end of the 2023-24 season.
"It actually happened pretty fast. I found out maybe three days ago, two or three days ago. I was literally at my game [with Partizan]," Payne noted. "I was out that game, so I was just watching, and maybe my agent told me during the game, and he was like, 'Man, it's gonna happen pretty fast, so you might want to pack. We've got to go through the logistics, but you might want to pack.'
"So after that game, I went and packed," he added. "I still didn't know if I wanted to tell the team yet, because I didn't know. But yeah, it happened pretty fast."
Credit IMAGO/MN Press Photo - Scanpix
Last season, Payne appeared in 72 games (five starts) for the New York Knicks, plus 14 more in the playoffs. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.8 assists, and 15.1 minutes per game.
This isn't the first time Payne has had to go overseas before finding his way back to the NBA. He played in China during the 2019-20 season.
Despite the short stint, he's grateful for his experience with Partizan.
Cameron Payne
Cameron Payne
Cameron Payne
MIN: 23.34
PTS: 12.4 (50.79%)
REB: 2.3
AS: 3.9
ST: 1.2
BL: 0
TO: 2.2
GM: 10
"Just playing, actually being the focal point of a team, running the offense, running the show," Payne said. "It hasn't really been like that since college, so it was cool to actually get back into that role of playing. And now that I'm coming back here being a backup, you kind of have that same ownership of the second unit.
"You've got to run the team still. So it was just kind of cool to be able to go over there and actually play and actually have a real role, like they count on you for real."
Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/EuroLeague via Getty Images
He also embraced the European basketball culture.
"It was lit, man. It was lit. Y'all know I'm all about energy, so going there, their fans are unbelievable," Payne underlined. "They come out for every game, and it's packed wall to wall. They've got flares in there. It was definitely a different experience. But I had a lot of fun.
"Different game, too. I kind of compare it to college basketball a little bit, because of the three seconds and all that stuff. It's kind of crowded. They can sit in the paint. So it was definitely a different game, but I liked it. I had a good time."
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